Are Conferences Still Relevant?

Technology has made it easier than ever for us to connect and collaborate with colleagues from just about anywhere in the world. With access to products and services at our fingertips, it begs asking the question, is it worth it to spend your dollars and time attending an actual conference anymore?

If you’re looking for the short answer, yes. Conference days are chalked full of education (it also means CEUs and professional development hours).

If you need more convincing, read on.

The foremost benefit of attending a conference is networking. There is no direct message, Skype, email or tweet that can rival a face to face meet up. Social media makes it easy for us to stay connected to our current network but it also hinders branching out and expanding our networks. Some of the best advice I ever received was that a seasoned professional knows “the gold is in the hallways,” and the most important conversations happen there.

Don’t forget that we all need a change of scenery. We get caught up in the day to day of our work and a conference is one of the best ways to recharge and revitalize passion for our careers.This can translate to improved job satisfaction, productivity and innovation. Conferences empower us and remind us that our work is both important and necessary. They also give us the opportunity to talk about the downsides of our work. It’s worth it to seek out colleagues who understand our struggles and get some fresh perspective.

We hope you will join us for WCW17 in Saskatoon from September 19-22, 2017. Full WCW17 conference attendance is worth 0.9 CEUs for Alberta and Manitoba operators. There are also additional full and half day workshops worth 0.6 and 0.3 CEUs respectively on September 19. If you need guidance on how to justify a conference registration to your employer, please refer to our Conference Justification Toolkit.